The Chinese professional skin care market grows by nearly 7% in 2018, higher than the global market growth of 6%, according to Kline’s just-published China volume of our annual Professional Skin Care Global Series report. China continues to be the largest market for professional skin care products, accounting for approximately 40% of global sales in 2018. Significant growth of the medical care providers and retail channels primarily drives overall sales of the Chinese market.
Beauty institutes and spas continues to be the most dominant channel of distribution in the Chinese market but still registers the slowest growth. Medical care providers registers double-digit growth, driven by increased demand and acceptance of “medical” grade products among Chinese consumers. In addition, several beauty institutes are incorporating medical grade products due to their growing popularity. Retail, although the smallest channel, registers the strongest growth as several marketers (both local and foreign) expand their distribution through the online channel. Tmall and WeChat are popular online channels for sales and promotion in China. Marketers also launch their own flagship stores on online platforms such as Tmall to boost retail sales.
Anti-aging and brightening/whitening products continue to be the most popular among Chinese consumers. Marketers also introduce several products targeting these skin concerns to stay on top of consumer demands.
Examples of Anti-Aging and Brightening Products Launched in China, 2018
The professional skin care market in China is highly fragmented, dominated by local brands such as Amitabha, Chlitina, and Jourdeness but also by international players such as SkinCeuticals, Decléor Paris, and NeoStrata. Although accounting only for a little over one-tenth of the Chinese market, international brands continue to thrive, recording a higher growth than local brands. International brands such as SkinCeuticals and NeoStrata continue to register strong growth in 2018.
The recently published United States volume of our Professional Skin Care Global Series report also reveals strong market growth in the United States of 7.3%, slightly above China, for 2018. Our findings demonstrate that private label products in particular, although a small segment of the overall U.S. market, see double-digit gains in the medical care providers channel. As such, Kline is excited to announce the first edition of The Role of Private Label in Physician-dispensed Skin Care: U.S. Segment Assessment, which will explore this fast-moving sector. The new report will focus on the dynamic role of private label skin care products for back-bar and take-home use that are dispensed through physician offices in the United States and help subscribers understand the impact that these products have on other skin brands in the professional skin care market.
To learn more about the professional skin care market in Europe, China, or the United States, please refer to our annual Professional Skin Care Global Series report covering all consumable topical skin care products sold through and used in professional channels of distribution. This series is comprised of individual market reports and an online database featuring total industry size and growth, brand sales by country, and channel sales.
